The Birthday Massacre - Pins & Needles

Highlights

Spiritual Beggars - Return To Zero

The Texas Hippie Coalition - Rollin’

Vince Neil - Tattoos And Tequila

Atom Strange - Cosmic Disturbance

Sister Sin - True Sound Of The Underground

Lester And The Landslide - Estranged In Ladyland

Abramis Brama - Smakar Söndag

Moa - Do You Want Me, Death

Melvins - Bride Screamed Murder

Philm - Amoniac (Demos)

Philm is what a Salvador Dali painting would sound like if you played it through a stack of Marshalls. Slayer’s Dave Lombardo and his new bandmates let it all hang out in this abstract/heavy power trio. Currently on the road with Halford. Don’t miss ‘em!

Highlights

Watain - Lawless Darkness

Pantera - Cowboys From Hell reissue

Norma Jean - Meridional

Ratt - Infestation

Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier

Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns

Deftones - Diamond Eyes

High on Fire - Snakes For the Divine

Michael Buble - Crazy Love reissue

Far - At Night We Live

They are one of my fave bands ever; I have a tattoo of lyrics from their last album, Water & Solutions, which came out in 1998. I cashed in 50,000 frequent flyer miles on a whim to fly out for their first reunion show in California in October 2008. Obviously, I had HUGE expectations for this album. And it did not disappoint me. The tension between Jonah Matranga and Shaun Lopez is still there.

The Constellations - Southern Gothic

Boy & Bear - With Emperor Antartica

Highlights

Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition

Sevendust - Cold Day Memory

Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

Shinedown - The Sound Of Madness

Karnivool - Sound Awake

Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare

Flyleaf - Flyleaf & Memento Mori

Protest The Hero - Fortress

Eminem - Recovery

Deftones - Diamond Eyes

From the first time I heard the song "Diamond Eyes" I was floored. Deftones managed to do what is the most exhilarating, and yet most difficult thing to do for any band, to keep the foundation of your sound, but infuse it with something modern or fresh. In their case, this was accomplished with guitarist Stephan Carpenter's introduction of an 8-string guitar, and some serious Meshuggah-worshipping riffs. Chino fully exploring his range and harmonizing skills, Frank Delgado's keyboards / DJ-ing adding some incredible mind-bending depth and ambiance, while drummer Abe Cunningham and new bassist Sergio Vega's poly-rhythmic foundation somehow glued it all together. That the band was able to pull it from the depths of such a horrible situation, is even more of a testament to how good this band truly is. Crushingly heavy, beautiful, passionate, real, Diamond Eyes is my album of the year.

Highlights

Jesu - Heartache & Dethroned

Mouth of the Architect - The Violence Beneath EP

Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis

Kylesa - Spiral Shadow

Alcest - Ecailles de Lune

Coliseum - House With a Curse

Barn Burner - Bangers

Priestess - Prior to the Fire

Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit

Deftones - Diamond Eyes

From start to finish this album is amazing. It takes you on a journey where each time you listen to it you find something new and exciting, and each time you listen to it you swear a different song is your new favorite song.